Keto Chicken Pad Thai

Sometimes we really miss going to a Thai restaurant and being able to sit down and enjoy the food. But, being keto we try to find ways around that and still be able to make food that plays to the cravings we have. Last night, Pad Thai was on the menu – and let me tell you – it was AMAZING!

We inhaled the dish within minutes and felt so satisfied after – just like you would when eating a regular meal with normal pasta. Two things that really can’t go wrong in a dish: delicious AND healthy. The bean sprouts and crushed peanuts are a perfect complement to the dish, adding a lot of flavor and texture that goes extremely well with the creaminess of the sauce and noodles.

Lime juice is typically just squeezed over the top, but we add it to the sauce to give acidity (instead of using more vinegar) and a ton of flavor that plays alongside the rest of the dish. Of course, using a small squeeze at the end elevates it to a new level – so I wouldn’t skip that! Tamarind is also very commonly used in pad thai and to recreate that on keto I combined lemon juice, reduced sugar ketchup, and worcestershire sauce. This gives the sweet, slightly sour taste that we need when cooking.

Note: I know some people really hate cilantro and just won’t eat something if they see a small spec of it. Feel free to leave it out (or use another herb like parsley instead), but I will say that it definitely adds to the flavor of the dish.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce using a fork or whisk. Set aside.

Drain shirataki noodles and rinse well. Repeat 5 or 6 times, then dry as much as you can using a cloth, winging out as needed.

Debone and deskin chicken thighs, then cut into cubed pieces.

Heat 2 tbsp. Coconut Oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken to create a sear. Flip chicken pieces over to sear the other side. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the chicken (using more oil).

In the same pan, add the shirataki noodles and dry fry them for 5-8 minutes or until noodles become firmer to the touch. Reduce heat and scramble 2 eggs into the noodles.

Add the sauce, chicken (including oil), cilantro, and green onion to the noodles. Let this cook down for about 5-10 minutes depending on thickness you want.